Solid episode of humor and filler

Though the plot was lackluster, the humor was good, and I was excited to hear that Dean did remember hell, though I honestly think he would have been dealing differently with all the monsters they had hunted since his resurrection.

One big thing bugging me is the Nice Guy plotline, and the sympathy felt for Wes. Even the freaking sad music at the end of the episode. Honestly, what he did to Hope was no better than drugging her, chaining her, knocking her out, or threatening her with a gun. He, and obviously the Winchesters, obviously didn't see it that way. They commented about the health of the relationship, but meaning how she smothers Wes, not how he's puppeting her. This made me sick to the stomach.

Awesome Freakin' Teddy Bear!

Dear Whoever Wrote This Episode: Thank you. Thank you for the fabulous T. Bear. Thank you for the belly laughs. The idea of a girl wishing her teddy bear to be big and real is just totally genius. The idea that the teddy bear would be devastated by the state of the world makes it ten times better! It was just hysterical!!! Other than the bear, I enjoyed other aspects of this episode. The little kid who made himself into an all-powerful superhero was terrifying, BUT Dean saw him for what he was--a little kid who was sick of being picked on--and didn't attempt to punish the boy for pretty much trying to kill him, and instead tried to help him, which I thought was really kind. (I loved that he tried to give the boy "with great power comes great responsibility speech!) Overall, a very enjoyable episode.

This episode deserves a few viewings to appreciate its true worth!

Wishful Thinking
Firstly I have to say that even though this episode is growing on me each time I watch it, Wishful Thinking is my least favourite ep. of Season 4. Yeah I know I feel terrible especially since Ben (Edlund) created the Teleplay and co-wrote the story with Lou Bollo AND Robert (Bobby !) Singer directed it. But I have to be honest. And thats not to say that I hate it 'cause I don't, its just that so far Season 4 has been blowing my mind and I guess I've grown a little spoiled! And even when Supernatural is not 'the best ever ep!' it is still a cut above most of the other stuff on TV! AND like I said first off Wishful thinking IS growing on me in a disturbingly twisted way, I mean we do have the inspired alcoholic, porn loving, surly, suicidal Mr Teddy Bear! Ha! When I found out that Ben also had a hand (both even, writing, director and supervising producer!) in 'Angel - Smile Time' everything made sense! Okay so I'm liking this episode after all! Mostly for Dean and Sams reactions to our furry friend. Absolutely hilarious, and little Audrey was so cutely matter-of-fact that she enhanced the experience as well. So Wishful thinking isn't that bad after all AND even from the very first viewing I did appreciate the portrayal of Deans depression and his eventual confession to Sam, that was saved the ep for me in the first place. And some clever dialogue AND vengeful Tod AND Deans cute first wish AND Jensen AND Jared!! No matter what every ep has one redeeming feature, or two or ten!(aargh! I try to be a ruthless reviewer and it just doesn't sit right! Hopelessly devoted rambling recapper is probably more my style! Lol!)
Sooo, lets start from the beginning. A typically creepy Supernatural intro, classic scenario with the woman in the shower being spied on by an unknown visitor. The vulnerability of that situation always raises a shiver, and I'm sure guys like it for that reason too (? )
The ominous tone was turned on its head by the scared little voice of the invisible intruder, still it would have been scary for the woman to have the towel she threw towards the shelf get caught mid air on some unseen figure. Maybe if she had stopped screaming and freaking out and started listening she would have recognised the 'ghosts' voice!
Still loving the ominous intro big time, is it getting longer? With more 'voices'? or is just freaking me out more each time?
Oooh and I forgot to mention I loved the next scene it was 'awesome'! Radical! Outstanding! Lol! It's a little difficult to have a sustained serious conversation with the perkiest waiter EVER! Dropping in at crucial times. Still Jensen and Jared did it and maybe the contrast with Mr Perky made the scene even more effective. Loved his badges too!
Sam is trying to find out the truth behind Uriels statement that Dean remembers his time in Hell and is keeping a terrible secret which undermines what Uriel sees as Deans 'Holier than Thou' attitude. Of course Dean denies this, as he knocks back his second shot! And Sam asks Dean why Uriel would lie...to which Dean replies 'Maybe cause he is a dick, might have something to do with it', Sam 'Yeah maybe but hes still an angel (aww your so cute Sammy!), Dean 'Yeah an angel that was ready to level an entire town'...and then our first well timed interruption by the awesome waiter, 'Radical!, what can I get you guys, do you want to try a couple of fryer bones or a chipoti chilli chunga (sic) ? Okay Awesome!' Love Deans look(s) as the smiling waiter bounces off! Then Dean continues to berate Uriel and downs his third shot. A fact which is not lost on Sam, they look at each other awkwardly. Sam 'Right', Dean 'What?' Dean knows he is not fooling Sam by denying his memories, but will doggedly keep trying. And notice he is steadfastly avoiding mentioning anything about Sam using his super duper powers to destroy Samhain ! Denial, thy name is Dean (well with the addition of an 'i' and an 'l' and a little jumbling it is! *gulp*) Then comes our 'Aussie' moment (hehe another redeeming feature!)
Sam 'Right, Dean look me in the eye and tell me you don't remember anything from your time down under (eee!), and Dean staring back uncomfortably 'I don't remember anything from my time down under'. Lying to Sam obviously doesn't sit well, as Dean gets frustrated, losing his temper 'I don't remember Sam!' and Sam is frustrated too, but knows this is very hard for Dean so he backs down a little gently adding 'Look, I just want to help'. Dean 'You know everything I do, thats all there is'. End of story or at least Dean hope it is, and lucky for him they are once more interrupted by their waiter. 'Outstanding! Dessert time, am I right, eh', Dean, not in the mood for all this cheer , growls 'Dude' but the waiter goes on oblivious to anything other than his spiel 'Listen bros you have to try our icecream extreme' The way Dean slowly looks up at the waiter , he is either tempted inspite of himself or he wants to rip this guys head off! 'Its extreme' ...then Sam saves the day 'No extreme just..' Waiter 'Cheque, alright awesome!' an dhe walks away still smiling, followed by another eyeroll from Dean and a delightful bemused look from Sam. Lol!
Dean is eager not to restart their previous conversation 'Alright where do we go from here'. There isn't much going on, Sam searches his computer '...but there is a possible vengeful spirit.......a ghost that is haunting the showers of a womans health resort. Dean almost chokes on his beer. 'Women, showers? We gotta save these people!' hehe. Even when tormented by the memories of hell you cant keep a good ladies man down! (hehe forgot to mention the quick admiring look a t a fellow female restaurant patron! I guess Dean needs all the distractions he can find!)
Off to Concrete Washington. Dean drops Sam off at 'Lucky Chins' Restaurant to interview the victim while he heads off to check out the health resorts showers, for any Supernatural activity of course.
The victim is truly an annoying woman, incredibly vain and self absorbed as opposed to crazy as Sam later refers to her. But i loved Sams cover story and the working title of his book 'Supernatural' (eee!) 'Yeah Ive been crossing the country gathering stories like yours, but anyways (he) you were telling me about your encounter'.
As Candace starts talking Sam is distracted by a couple at another table. I hope its because he has a Supernatural feeling about them or the fact that they are indulging in a very public show of affection, and not that he sees them as an odd match simply because one of them is hot and the other is a bit of a geek! If so this stereotyping is a little disappointing. And as Dean has a similar reaction later on I am clinging to the hope that, although belittling, it is simply a device to reinforce why Wes felt he had to wish to be loved rather than actually wait for it to happen naturally when this is the way the world sees and discriminates against him. (I know looks are important as far as initial attraction goes but plenty of 'so called' hot girls and guys for that matter look beyond the surface! Anyway I think it is a cruel way to look at Wes but I guess it does emphasise his dilemma. And how cool is it to have Ted Raimi guesting as Wes!!! Man, Eric must have been pinching himself and I can imagine that Jensen and Jared must have been excited as well. Having 'Joxer the Mighty' (Hercules: the Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess), and an Evil Dead Series alumni on board! Eeeeeeeeee! Too cool! And too many more to mention....American Gothic, Darkman, Spiderman 1-4 (oh and that reminds me Sam Raimi little brother, but thats not really an achievement of his, more an interesting fact!).......eeeee!
Anyway Candace (being the hot girl she is! With the interesting story!) is annoyed that Sam is not hanging on her every word. But is quickly appeased when Sam turns back to her! From her story Sam can tell this is not your ordinary ghost. It called her by name, physically helped her up when she fell and pleaded with her not to tell his mum!
When Sam arrives at the health club Dean tells him that he couldn't find any evidence of evil anywhere. Sam ' Not surprised, I got the impression 'crazy' pushed Mrs Armstrong down the stairs', Dean 'I gotta tell you I am pretty disappointed' This amuses Sam, he knows what Dean was hoping for. 'You wanted to save naked women', Dean 'Damn right I wanted to save some naked women' Sam smiles and gives a little laugh (nice to see! Good work Dean!) Makes you wonder how different a teenage Deans wish would have been from the invisible boys – if he had of had a normal childhood that is. From 'wish' Sams stolen prom date speech in WIAWSNB probably not very different at all!)
Then a funny, if a little insensitive, call out to bullied boy running away from his tormentors 'Run Forrest Run!' (second best reference to that quote, the first relates to the attack of the Ents in LOTR Two Towers! Hehe! I'm such a geek!) Anyhoo poor Dean will get a little payback later on and then even later redeem himself completely!
Just as the boys are wondering if they are out of luck as far as strange happenings go they overhear hunter, Gus, telling policeman, Hal, that he was attacked by a big foot. 'Not a bear, this thing didn't leave bear tracks, its feet were huge!' (BIG even!)..'Theres a big foot out there and hes a son of a b!@ch!'
This sounds interesting and strange enough to investigate as long as they are already there and out come the FBI Ids and they find out where Gus saw his bigfoot. Dean 'What the hell is going on in this town? First a ghost thats not real and now a bigfoot sighting?', Sam 'Every hunter worth his salt knows bigfoots a hoax' , Dean 'Well maybe someone is pumping LSD into the towns water supply.' Then they see the tracks, BIG tracks. Dean 'What do you suppose made that?', Sam ' That is a .....big foot!' And when they follow the tracks they lead to a general/liquor store. Dean 'So what? Bigfoot breaks into a liquor store Jonesing for some hooch! Amoretto and Irish Cream, hes a girl drink drunk' hehe, not so funny is Dean slipping a bottle of alcohol into his jacket. Sam discovers 'Bigfoot' has taken the whole porn rack and left a puzzling piece of synthetic fur behind. And once again Dean and Sam are left wondering what the hell is going on in this town, they take a seat trying to figure it out. Dean 'I got nothing', Sam, 'Its gotta be a joke right? Some big ass mother in a gorilla suit'. Dean 'Or its bigfoot, you know some kind of alco holo porno addict, kinda like a deep woods duchovny!' lol! Good one Dean and he seems pleased with the pun himself, probably thinks this bigfoots interests aren't to shabby either. In fact when a little girl rides by on her pushbike dropping a porn magazine out of her basket and it just so happens to be Deans porn mag of choice Busty Asian Beauties, this beast takes on a certain Dean like quality. Gotta love the quirky continuity.
Turns out the little girl is returning stuff her Teddy stole, and Dean and Sam, thankful for any kind of lead, follow her home. Dean 'What is this a Harry and the Hendersons deal?' Dean and Sams embarrassment as they struggle to find the words to explain to the little girl what/or who they are looking for is very cute. After a some awkwardness and a lame but apparently effective charade, the little girl puts them out of their misery 'Is he in trouble?' Sam being the sweetie she is tries to allay here fears 'No, no we just wanted to make sure he is okay', Dean 'Exactly', LG 'Hes my teddy bear...I think hes sick' Dean 'Wow amazing because you know what? we are Teddy Bear doctors (cute Dean cute) As they reassure the girl that they can help her teddy you can bet that they are dying to see what exactly is upstairs. This next scene is hilarious, mostly because of the total stunned disbelief on both Dan and Sams faces. LG 'Hes in my bedroom, hes pretty grumpy'..'Teddy there some nice doctors here to see you' and she carefully opens the door only to get a vey grumpy response 'Close the fri!!in door' Dean and Sam can't believe what they are seeing as the girl sadly closes the door 'See what I mean' Dean and Sam just stare at each other dumbfounded! LMAO!
Poor little girl all she wanted was a 'Teddy that was real and talked...' 'but now hes sad all the time, not ouch sad but ouch in the head, says rude things and smells like the bus.' Dean, 'Um little girl?' She sighs 'Audrey' Dean is a little taken aback but amused 'Audrey, how exactly did your Teddy become real?, Audrey 'I wished for it', Sam 'You wished for it?' Aha a real clue, magic wishes are something he and Dean can sink their teeth into. Audrey 'At the wishing well' Dean takes another look at the bear, who is decidedly more distraught than grumpy now watching the news (come to think of it the news IS pretty depressing these days) 'Look at this, can you believe this crap'..Dean 'Not really! Hehe....Bear 'It is a terrible world, why am I here? Poor Audreys frustrated reply ' For tea parties!' Bear 'Tea parties? *sob* Is that all their is?' *sob* They close the door and now that they have seen a little of what the hell is going on in this town Dean and Sam have to figure out what the hell they are going to do about it!
I like that the boys are figuring all this out but are still taking into account that that there is an innocent little girl mixed up in all this and lower their voices as they iron out the details. *whispering* Sam 'are we gonna kill this damn bear?, Dean 'How? How? Do we shoot it? Burn it?', Sam 'I dunno, both?' Dean 'We don't know if its gunna work, I don't want some giant flaming pissed off teddy on our hands!' heehee
After deciding to go to the source of the problem instead of trying to destroy the bear, Dean and Sam very sweetly and a little awkwardly explain the situation to Audrey... Dean 'Hes got lollipop disease, its not uncommon for a bear his size, but its really contagious' (cute Dean and so sincerely put!).. and make sure that she has an adult she can stay with while Teddy is sick. Then they find out exactly where this wishing well is. At the restaurant the bullied boy has just finished making a wish. And after wondering how the thing works Dean decides to test it out and make a wish. Love his cute rebuke when Sam asks him what he wished for. 'Shhh your not supposed to tell' hehe had to be some variation of one or two things and since a gorgeous girl would have been too distracting in the middle of a case a foot long Italian with jalapeno was a good choice! (well until the wish turned around and bit him on the butt, so to speak)
'Everything points to the well working' 'The Teddy Bear, the sandwich', 'I'm guessing this' as Dean pulls out the newspaper article on the lottery winner. Sam 'Im guessing that' Looking at the 'odd' couple. Dean 'That definitely goes on the list' (I've given up moralising on this, but it is a little annoying and kinda juvenile...grrr) To his credit Dean isn't happy ruining peoples wishes 'What are we supposed to do, stop peoples wishes from coming true? Sounds like a douche thing to do'. But Sam is more wary (maybe because he isn't enjoying a delicious free meal and isn't rooting for the geek to score with the 'prom queen') rightly too and Dean should be as well after what he went through with the Djinn (a little different I know, but he should always know there are ALWAYS consequences) Sam 'Yeah maybe but comeon man, when has something like this ever come without a price tag and usually a deadly one' Dean 'I don't know its a damn good sandwich'
After posing as health inspectors (so they wont get thrown out of the restaurant for eating outside food, or footlongs even) Dean and Sam have a chance to close the restaurant and study the well. Typical fountain, plaster Buddha, as they ponder their findings or lack thereof, Dean asks Sam what he would wish for, putting forward a scenario that he would wish for his brother (and himself) (uh and already kinda has!) That Sam is happy in his what could have been his life, big yuppie lawyer with a nice car, white picket fence. This is something that a few years ago Sam would have loved, but obviously a lot has happened to Sam since then (that we know of and stuff from when Dean was in Hell that we have yet to learn of) and Sams wish truns out to be much more specific and brutal. 'Its too late to go back to our old lives Dean, I'm not that guy anymore', Dean 'Well what then what would Sammy wish for' (with a smile on his face, even calling Sam, 'Sammy' Not expecting Sams next words), Sam very seriously 'Liliths head on a plate, bloody', Dean, sad for what Sams life has become and for what he couldn't stop happening, looks down 'Okay'. Dean is visibly upset and still looking down he spots a large unusual coin in the fountain. He reaches for it, but it wont budge. Sam 'Lift with your legs' hehe
Next thing they are walking back into the restaurant looking determined. But no matter what they do they cant budge it. They realise that the coin is magic (finally!lol!) and that 'its hoodoo is protecting the well, as well! Sam takes a rubbing of the coin and asks Dean to look up the design while he checks on something.
Sam goes to the health spa and catches the invisible boy who is STILL spying on unsuspecting women. Sam realises the boy can turn his power on and off. Love Sams brief look down and deadpan 'put on some pants'
Meanwhile Dean is on his way back to the hotel and is surprised to see the bullied boy chasing the bullies. The boy stops and sees Dean staring 'Got a problem mister' then resumes the chase. A little surprised, Deans brought back to reality by an ominous rumble in his stomach.
By the time Sam gets back to the hotel, Dean is very sick, but he has still managed to find out the origin of the coin and what the hell IS going on in this town. 'The coin is Babylonian, its cursed.....fragments of a legend.....Tiamet...babylonian god of chaos....I guess her priest working some serious black magic, they made the coin to sow the seeds of chaos. Whoever tosses the coin in the wishing well, turns on the well, then it starts granting wishes to all comers.
Sam 'But the wishes get twisted, you ask for a talking teddy...' Dean 'You get a bipolar nut job', Sam 'You get ecoli', Dean 'This thing has turned more than one town upside down, its even wiped a few off the map, I mean one person gets their wish its trouble, but everyone gets their wish....' Sam 'Its chaos, anyway to stop it?'
The only way to stop the chaos and reverse the wishes is for the original wisher, the one who threw the coin into the well in the first place, to pull it out of the well. So now all Dean and Sam have to do is work out who made the first wish!....'So for now we got a couple of nutsos dreams come true, but once the word gets out about the well, things are going to get crazier and crazier' At those words the scene cuts to 'crazier and crazier', the teddys suicide note scribbled on a blackboard, and teddy getting ready to blow his 'brains' out. Nice idea to pan to the other side of the room and show the stuffing flying through the air after you hear the gun shot. Poor teddy he is miserable and can't even kill himself as we pan back to him still 'alive' sobbing 'why, why!'
Back to the brothers, it is Sams turn to watch Dean having nightmares. As soon as Dean wakes up he needs a drink to take the edge off the memories plaguing him. Sam is desperate for Dean to open to him. 'The nightmares & drinking, Im with you 24/7'....'I'm your brother, I just wish you would talk to me' (that will get to Dean eventually, it always does) Dean 'Be careful what you wish for'
Dean just wants to work, he finds the couples month old engagement notice and figures that makes this the oldest wish, so he and Sam are off to visit the 'happy' couple.
Meanwhile Wes doesn't seem totally comfortable taking advantage of Hope. Her extreme behaviour is worrying him and I'm sure he would rather their love was real. When Dean and Sam arrive posing as florists for Wes & Hopes wedding they see the coin collection and know they were right to suspect Wes as the first wisher. They try to get Wes to confess to the original wish and to convince him that wish has to be reversed.
Love Jensens little, almost incidental nods to Deans character as he checks Hope out as she leaves to make coffee (and did the same to a random patron earlier in the restaurant). Then Hope overhears the truth and is upset that Dean and Sam want Wes to reverse the spell and wish away their love. Uh Oh!
I feel a little sorry for Wes, I know what he did to Hope is despicable and more than a little grubby! But after losing his Grandfather and looking forward to a life of loneliness, with the girl of his dreams so close and yet so far, you can understand what drove him to trying out his wish. He probably didn't even think it would really work and when it did he got more than he bargained for. It is obvious he is having second thoughts about winning love in this way. And in the end (admittedly when only the very worst scenario was played out) he made the right decision.
In the car on the way to the restaurant Wes tries to explain the reasons for what he did, trying to justify it to Dean and Sam as well as himself. He already has misgivings about his wish, but is having trouble seeing how desperate and far reaching the situation will become.
Sam, 'The wishes go south Wes, your town is going insane', Dean 'C'mon are you gonna sit there and tell me your relationship is functional, that its what you wished for', Wes 'I wished she would love me more than anything', Sam 'Yeah, hows that going that seem healthy to you', Wes 'Well its a heeluva lot better than when she didn't know I was alive' Dean, 'You're not supposed to get what you want man, not like this. Nobody is ..........it takes your hearts desires and twists it back on you. You heard the whole be careful what you wish for' Then to prove this point the Chevy hits something. They keep and behind them we hear a pained cry and then see that the peeping Toms invisibility is not always a good thing. Sam 'Did we just hit something', Dean 'I didn't see anything'
And Wes is still clinging to his shaky logic. Wes 'Careful what you wish for, you know who says that, good looking jerks, like you guys. The ones who've got it so easy, because you happen to be handsome'
Dean and Sam 'Easy!', Wes 'Yeah women, women look at you right they notice you (ohyeah mm *slap* stop daydreaming about those good looking jerks!.....) uh where was I .....oh yeah.... Sam '......We do NOT have it easy', Dean completely deadpan ( :-( ) 'We are miserable'...'We NEVER get what we want, yeah we have to fight tooth and nail (ooh is that where the idea for the AVSC spell came from?lol!) just to keep whatever it is got!', Sam, being the voice of reason, 'Maybe thats the whole point' and Dean (the voice of a man plagued by hellish memories, depression and more than a hint of self pity!) 'Yeah people are people because they are miserable bastards, cause they never get what they really want'. Sam seems a little shocked and worried by Deans venom, but is determined to keep going down this road of reasoning and convince Wes he needs to take some action 'Right (?), yeah (regathers his thoughts) you get what you want you get crazy. Dean (perhaps trying to cover up his outburst takes a safer more sarcastic tack) 'Take a look at Michael Jackson or Hasselhoff'. Wes, not sounding too sure but grimly holding on to the idea of his perfect love, 'Hope loves me now and its awesome, besides look around where is all this insanity.
Cue kids screaming and we see our bullied boy has his tormentors holes up in a car which he tips over with the screaming kids inside. Dean 'Well that should cover it! The boys wish has well and truly twisted on him. He is corrupted by power and vengeance, had to smile at his mantra though 'Kneal before Tod, Kneal before Tod' Dean decides to try his winning way with kids and proceeds to give Tod the Spiderman speech. 'With great power comes great responsibility' and gets punched out for his trouble.
Meanwhile Sam and Wes get to the Restaurant, and the brewing storm turns nasty (note I resisted the urge to say shocking!) Sam is struck by lightning, knocking his shoes clean off! Was this cartoon type image supposed to ease our minds! Eek! I lost my shoe(s)!
When Wes enters the restaurant and finds Hope inside he realises the lightning strike was her doing (and Deans choking at the hands of Tod works in well with her wish as well.) She had to stop Dean and Sam from forcing Wes to 'unwish' their love. Her desperate act and intense distress is what finally makes Wes realise he has to reverse the wish. He gives her one last kiss and then takes the coin out of the fountain. Immediately Hopes memory of the last month, or so, is erased, she is disorientated, looks at Wes and poignantly says 'Do I know you?' He is alone again. I guess he should count his lucky stars that she cant remember or she would be within her rights to have him arrested!
Meanwhile Sam comes back to life (yay!) and Dean is finally released from Tods grip when Tod loses his super powers (double yay!) Remarkably (but not really surprisingly) Dean then turns around and convinces the bullies that Tod is still dangerous and that they should steer clear of him. Very cute Dean (Was the fact that Tods behaviour was a result of outside forces corrupting him and twisting him into something he had no control over, strike a chord with Dean? Or on a less hellish track perhaps Dean can see Tods problem from both sides. He spent his childhood as something of a loner, so he knows what it is like to be the odd man out and/or he has admitted to being a bit of a bully when he did actually go to school, so maybe he feels helping Tod is a way of making amends.) either way that little scene was very cute!
The final scene made this episode for me. After a quick wrap up where we find out that the wishes were reversed (Patched up teddy is back to his old self, sunburned Bali hopping parents are back, the lottery ticket turns out to be a fake etc, etc... ) and Sam has melted the coin down so it cant be used again. We get back to the main story. After Sams earlier 'I'm your brother' plea has played on his mind for a while Dean relents and confesses to Sam that he does remember his time in Hell, that it is with him all the time. Of course Sam wants Dean to tell him what happened, thinking that it may somehow make it easier for Dean to live with if he shares his troubles. But Dean refuses. He doesn't want to talk about it. Its bad enough that it is in his mind forever. He doesn't want Sam to have to deal with the horror. He is trying to protect Sam and to protect himself. He is terrified that if Sam finds out his secret he will not understand. He has to live with his own guilt but to see Sam look at him with disgust, disappointment or even hate would devastate him. I think, or at least I hope, that when all is said and done, God will see fit to wipe these memories from Deans mind or that once Dean confesses everything and has faced whatever demons he has to face that he will have the power to forgive himself and wipe these memories away. The road to redemption that Dean is on may be the only way to purge the guilt and consequently the memories. Like I think I've said before(a few thousand times!) I think that is part of why God pulled Dean out of Hell and that the tasks and decisions ahead of him are stepping stones along that road.
Even though Wishful Thinking isn't my favourite episode of Season 4, I think I may have been a little hard on it initially and after 2 or 3 viewings I am much more willing to embrace it! I am sorry that as far as Australian screening schedules go it is the finalepsiode for who knows how long. Hopefully it will be back by late February/early March. It would have been nice to end this block with a stronger episode, but Deans confession at the very end, letting Sam in on a little of what he has been going through, was a nice way to reinforce their closeness while still leaving interesting and worrying and worrying questions to be answered. Always leave 'em wanting more! Heres hoping we don't have to wait too long, for Supernaturals return and for the truth about Deans secret! I'm already starting to feel the shakes coming on, the DW&SW SWS(Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester Supernatural Withdrawal Symptoms) must be kicking in! Aaargh!
Seeya soon I hope! Till then Supernatural Rules! : ) Long Live Supernatural! : )
Love Raelynne xo

Hilarious moments combine with a decent plot to deliver a top notch eposide.

First off this episode isn't critical to the seasonal plot arc taking place. So expect a little respite from that. Nor is the plot one of the strongest to grace a standalone episode from this show. That said, the plot stands on its own and is catapulted upwards with nigh on scene after scene of wierdness and hilarity. So you can guess that the tone of this particular episode was one of comedy. Its somewhat cliche theme was tempered with some expertly executed scenes involving some delightfully surreal wishes. Event though the consequences involved for the members of the town weren't anywhere near hardcore, there was enough anxiety to keep the plot moving alone and the boys plowing through the episode to ensure a resolute end.

The twist at the end was quite cute if not so overwhelming, but I couldn't fault any part of the episode in its quality, different choices for locations. Overall the rhythm also worked very well will no real moments where you would consider looking for the remote to check out what was on another channel.

To top it all off, the scenes involving the depressive teddy and superpowered Todd where simply superb - and made this episode for me.

Overall this episode keeps up the great quality of the current series and lets us take a break from the main plot. Can be missed, but Id ask - why would you want to!

Ben Edlund delivers once again: another wonderful comedic episode, with a tragic, heartfelt twist near the end.

And with the end let's we start. Dean finally reveals to Sam that he remembers his time in Hell, and - as much as Sam would like to support his brother and help him relieving the burden - he's also adamant: he won't, he can't tell Sam about what was it like in the Pit, because there are no words for the horrors he saw and there's nothing Sam could say or do that would make it better. It's an heartfelt, harrowing moment between Dean and his brother, the consciousness of a hiatus that heralds the chasm that will divide them before the end of the season. But 'Wishful Thinking' is not only this heart-wrenching revelation: it is also a suicidal teddy bear, an invisible peeping tom, a lovable nerd and a jalapeno sandwich. What the heck do these things have in common? Ben Endlund's geniality, because once again the talented writer has concocted an episode - briskly shot by Robert Singer - that is both unbelievably funny ("Kneel before Todd!"), endearing (the story of Wes and Hope, and their sad parting) and out-of-your-mind wacky (the teddy bear). And all of this with an epic twist to boot. What can you wish more than this?

The third comedy instalment of the season and it's certainly the best.

The third comedy instalment of the season and it's certainly the best: this is laugh-a-minute stuff with a veritable treasure trove of wonderful set pieces that recur in the most creatively ingenious ways possible. The central premise, that a wishing well is activated and begins granting wishes with consequences, is fairly simplistic but it's the execution that shines. Choosing to weave the story around a number of individual narratives that are only glimpsed in passing is a fantastic, and original, technique and one that proves eminently rewarding for the viewer as we gradually get to see the complete picture of their somewhat selfish, and dangerous, dalliances with desire. So we have the young boy desperate to fend off a group of bullies, who wishes for super strength, leading to the hilarious sequence in which he single-handedly overturns a truck ("kneel before Todd!"), the young man walking barefoot (scratch that, just bare) in the women's showers and best of all, the young girl who wishes her teddy bear to life to keep her company and gets more than she bargained for... Incredibly, the production actually carries off the anthropomorphic stuffed animal with suitable aplomb; the sequence is utterly, utterly bizarre but all the more comedic because of it. The script keeps the tone exactly right, balancing the surreal with the banal and injecting sufficient dumb-founded human reaction to mire it in a sense of 'believability' (Sam and Dean's expressions and dialogue are fantastic here). All this and a cameo from Ted Raimi to boot. A definite treat for your funny bone.

WISHFUL THINKING

I think Supernatural should its genre from Drama series to Comedy series (Joking) this was another great and very funny episode of Supernatural. This season has been the best so far in my opinoin I'm loving it (sounded like a McDonalds ad there). This episode was about a wishing well where if you throw in a coin and wish it will come true. It was really funny with the giant teddy bear that hated life and tried to commit suicide and Sam and Dean's reaction to seeing him was genuis. This episode had a lot of laughs like the kid with super strength and Dean punch only to get totally owned by the kid and the lad who was invisble getting knocked over was funny. All in all Wishful thinking wwsa another strong and funny episode of the series. 9 out of 10.

This episode starts pretty weird and feelt a bit familiar as well.

This episode starts pretty weird and feelt a bit familiar as well. At first the episode felt a bit like the Horror movie episode, because we were getting strange stories that were completely different in nature, but in the end it turned out to be very different indeed. Please don't read further if you haven't seen this episode. The funniest thing I have ever seen (as well as the weirdest) has to be the giant talking teddy bear. I mean, we have seen some weird stuff, but a giant talking teddy bear? Damn that was weird and funny. A wishing well that grants wishes was a very weird thing as well, but with all good things comes a price. We later find that the well not only grants wishes, but turns them a bit sour as well. A great episode, and one where Sam and Dean were not the ones to end the madness, that was done by the person who started it all.

Predictable.

I wanted to label this filler. But Dean remembering hell isn't filler material. This episode, nothing really much happened. Everything you expect from a wishing well episode. First everything goes the way you wanted, and then it goes to crap. Like psychotic girlfriend, drunk teddy bear, bad sandwich, convicted invisible murderer. Dean remembering hell was a pretty good plot added to the episode. I thought Sam was going to actually die there for a sec. The plot wasn't as scary. More of a weird Sc-Fi thing, which is why it was just okay for me. Neil before Todd thing was pretty funny though.

A town makes wishes.

I thought this episode was good. Not my favorite, but it had my favorite actors in it :D (Hint: Jared and Jensen)

I found myself laughing at most of the stuff, like most every episode but I'm glad that they took a break from the "Lilith" plotline (even though I love it) and went back to doing hunting for a bit.

I'm very curious to find out what happened to Dean when he was in Hell and what happened to Sam when Dean was in hell. Many mysterious still need solved, but I'm hoping Kripke tells us before killing another one of the boys :(

Suicidal Teddy Bear Alert!

Wishful Thinking-The Winchesters investigate a town wishing well that really grants wishes... at a terrible cost.

What is it with these run of comedic episodes this season? Seems like the writers are trying to change to a sitcom! But whatever the case, "Wishful Thinking" is another comedy highlight of the series as the episode is full of more classic hilarious moments from this series that are unforgettable. The wishing well storyline while a bit silly at times, it undeniably funny. The wishes were very entertaining like the little boy with super strength I love how wishes became evil after will, like the little boy with the super strength bulling the other little kids and Dean, lol. Not to mention his line:

Todd: "Kneel before Todd!"

But the funniest moments of the episode, maybe even of the whole series were the ones involving a little girl's teddy bear coming to life. Just the first reactions of Dean and Sam seeing the depressed Teddy Bear were priceless. Then there's the scene of Teddy Bear committing suicide and being unsuccessful as you see stuffing flying from the back of it head, ha! This episode also features a wonderful guest appearance from Ted Raimi ("Xena", "Spider-man")! It's great to see him on this series and he couldn't be more perfectly casted as Wesley Mondale, a man done on his luck and wished the woman of his dreams to fall in love with him. It's a morally satisfying storyline as Wesley realizes how real love isn't obsession or having a slave for a girlfriend, love has to be earned, not magically forced on someone. It's sad watching the girl his dreams leave him, but it inevitable. Another stand out moment of the episode is the development of Dean's memory while he was in Hell. The entire episode Sam pushes Dean to confess about what happened to him in Hell, but Dean denies any knowledge of it. At episode end, Dean admits he does remember what happened to him in Hell, but won't tell Sam about it. It's a sad development as Dean's beyond traumatic experience will be something Sam will never understand and never be able to help Dean forget. Hopefully, in the next coming episodes, Dean will finally describe what exactly happened to him, but until then, the mystery of those months in Hell are making for an intriguing build up! "Wishful Thinking" is outrageous funny and morally stunning, another highlight of this stellar season so far!

Brilliant idea!

I don't think this episode was as great as some people make it out to be. To defend myself, I think many parts just could have been better. This idea is something that could have a movie written about it, so I know it's hard to compress it down into 45 minutes, but still. I think they could have brought in more angst. Like, Dean is getting choked by a little kid, so they could have drawn on that a bit more. Sam dies! So, I think Dean should have seen it happen, freaked out, then get attacked by Todd or something. So, things could have been better...

But don't get me wrong! This episode was friggin' brilliant! Loved T. Bear. I could image his whole name being Ted E. Bear (like Wile E. Coyote). But that part was awesome. Loved the Superman reference, "Kneel before Todd(Zod)" and Spiderman, "With great power comes great..." La da da. This episode was so funny. I mean, how many times do the boys get to see something like that! Awesome awesome episode. Nice to see that story line covered!

In this underwhelming episode of supernatural, Sam and Dean find a troubled town in Washington that is home to a true hudu wishing well. The townsfolk get their wishes granted, but the wishes always turn bad. The brothers help destroy the wishing well.

Okay... all i can say is, "What are you thinking!?" Your on a roll, supernatural writers! DOn't just start writing crap because you're ahead of the game! This episode was fairly miserable, considering it was an episode of Supernatural, no doubt one of the best shows on television today. The plotline was stupid from the beginning, they did a very bad job of involving the true story about angels and dean and hell, and there was absolutely no climax! Unless that was the pain everyone felt as they watched the loser pull the coin out of the fountain and lose "Hope"... *terrible irony**cough*terrible irony*cough*cough...

I was not terribly dissapointed in the sense that for a bad episode of supernatural, it had some funny moments, like the bi-polar teddy bear and Dean getting the Hot Italian Sub Sandwhich for his wish.

AWESOME EPISODE

Another awesome episode from supernatural, this season has been soooo awesome, this season is already the best an biggest season so far, every season gets better and better. This episode was really funny and revealin about dean finnally admittin he remembers everythin in hell, and it was so funny with the big teddy bear and with sam and deans face when they 1st saw him, and it was well funny when they ran over the invisible man, yhis episode was simply awesome, but it wasnt the best episode of this season but none the less its an episode you could watch over and over again, but the next 2 episodes are goin to be 2 of the best episodes and biggest episodes of the series and i cant wait cus supernatural rullllleeeeessss

Not a bad episode, just odd. Does deal with important Dean/Sam stuff though.

For me, this was possibly the strangest episode to date. A definite filler episode and at first glance, can be dismissed as pointless or frivolous but every now and then has these moments of surprising depth – and I'm not talking about the Dean/Sam moments.

Let me deal with this first – a wishing well where everyone gets their wish. Let's ignore the fact the series has done wishes before in 'What Is'. From a Hunter's POV, I'm not even sure I would have intervened until much later. No-one dead, no-one maimed, no monsters roaming the streets – I could understand if there was some horrible consequence of a wish (and that would have made far more sense than this), as a similar idea to the consequences of selling your soul but instead, there's just some weirdness but no real 'price' to the wish. I wouldn't even consider the coin evil, never mind actually bothering to deal with it. True, once people found out about it, there would have been chaos and it probably was better to deal with it before it got that far, but really this is a wish-bringer with no consequences. I find that very strange. Really too good to be true.

Then there's the wishes – 1) A teddy bear with a human mind, driven to suicide by the horror of it's own existence. Seeing the poor thing try and fail to kill itself was actually quite tragic, bizarre as that sounds. Ben Edlund has a twisted mind. 2) Wesley, on the other hand, is straight out of 'Children Shouldn't Play'. The loser who makes a woman unnaturally love him who barely noticed him before. However, the casting of Ted Raimi was good and he brings some real emotion to this storyline which makes it worthy of attention. 3) The bullied kid – annoying and completely pointless, saved only by Dean's role in it all. 4) The invisible boy – cliché and has been done many times before, but it did add some nice humour. 5) Lottery winner – we didn't even meet him. 5) Audrey's parents wish to go to Bali and leave their young child alone at home?! All in all, the wishes were repetitive of either previous SN episodes or concepts used many other times elsewhere. Only the teddy bear story was pretty unique and definitely worth the watching of the episode.

Now for the real meat of the episode: there's two parts. Sam wastes no time in confronting Dean about Uriel's insistence that Dean remembers Hell. One aspect of season 4 I find disturbing is that Dean and Sam are doing a lot of lying to each other, and here Dean lies straight to Sam's face while looking him straight in the eye. Another disturbing element of this season is that Dean is drinking again. Thankfully it hasn't reached the almost alcoholic proportions of season 2 but it's still worrying. All three scenes about this work very well. 1) The bar: Sam's first reference to Dean's drinking and Dean's too convincing insistence that he doesn't remember. 2) The nightmare – Sam points out that he spends all-day-every-day with Dean and knows that something's wrong, plus the nightmares and the drinking. I did find it a bit hypocritical that Sam says "I'm your brother, I just wish you'd talk to me." – are you conveniently forgetting how many times you've lied to Dean since he got back, Sam? You don't confide in Dean about your fears about your own destiny yet want him to talk about something as horrific and personal as his time in Hell? A short but eloquent scene which definitely tugs at the heartstrings, Sam's sweet, gentle nature kicks in and he's trying to look after Dean, even if Dean doesn't want him to. Dean has never been comfortable with people fussing over him but Sam's taken to worrying a lot about Dean and who can blame him? Their relationship has evolved so much, it's very equal now, very mature. They've both grown up, able to express concern and love for each other without that awkwardness from the early days. 3) Dean finally admits the truth but refuses to talk about it. Totally understandable, how could he put into words what he experienced and what he saw. Talking about it won't help, there's nothing Sam can do or say to make it better – and why burden Sam with the horror of it? All Sam can really do is be supportive and really, just be himself because he's always been good for Dean just by being there. All three scenes are very well written and get the whole thing across without being repetitive or overly sentimental. All completely in character. Beautifully filmed, especially the last scene on the dock, great music too. Very nicely done.

The other juicy part of this episode is when Dean asks what Sam would wish for and Sam surprises him by replying that he wouldn't wish for a normal life, he'd rather have 'Lilith's head on a plate'. The 'bloody' part is a little disturbing though. Dean's description of the 'big yuppy lawyer with a nice car' is straight out of 'What Is', Dean isn't making this up, he's remembering it! Usually it's at least polite to reciprocate a question like that, Sam strangely doesn't. This scene is important for several reasons. In the early days of Hunting and looking for John, both Dean and Sam wanted normal lives, in 'What Is', Dean's wish created a world where they had those normal lives and Sam really did have the 'white picket fence'. Sam doesn't hesitate – he's not that person any more. He's right, no matter what, they couldn't just live a 'normal' life – too much has happened, they've been through too much and add to that Sam's demonic blood and there you have it. What is interesting is that Sam's 'wish' is very relevant to who and what he is right now – it shows the transformation into a true Hunter as well as his attitude to his demon side. Given the alarming events of last week, it's reassuring to see Sam is still Sam. Dean should have known better than to think Sam would still want that after everything that's happened – is Dean projecting? He'd rather Sam not have his dark destiny and wishing a normal life would certainly take care of that. Whatever Sam is going to become, he's fighting his dark side and there's no doubt he's still our Sam. Makes you wonder what the writers have in store for him.

The boys are showing an independence they've never had before, together but to some degree living their own separate lives. They're not just living their lives for each other which is what it had gotten down to in previous seasons. I consider this healthy and essential to their growth, and Dean in particular again shows the same maturity that he's been displaying since his return from Hell. He's turned into an exceptional man and it's easy to see why Castiel talks so much about Dean's potential - he really is growing into a true hero, becoming thoughtful and focused, planning before he acts and taking responsibility for his actions.

Last thoughts:
- Teddy bear doctors? Is that how far we have sunk? They were actually considering killing the teddy bear! Do you shoot it or burn it, or both?
- Dean's 'Busty Asian Beauties' turns up in the strangest places and a teddy bear that likes porn, possibly the most disturbing thing in this episode!
- The boys have been posing as FBI this entire season. It's not like them to use the same credentials all the time, it's pretty dangerous. They've always switched between different badges so not to leave an obvious trail. Sooner or later, it's going to get around the law enforcement community that there are two boys (descriptions included) posing as FBI agents. The last thing they should want is to be fugitives again.
- It was bound to happen sooner or later – at the Chinese restaurant, Dean pulls out the wrong badge and has to dig through his pockets for the health inspector one.

A rather pointless episode but not a bad one. It does provide some interesting character insight, as well as Dean's memories from Hell. Not a terribly satisfying episode but definitely worth watching. Next week we're back to Ruby and Sam explains Ruby saved his life. SN doesn't do flashbacks, it's something I respect about the series (unlike 'Lost'), but I would really want to actually see that – Sam's reaction to Dean's return was disturbing even if it was later explained and I would like to see what Sam was like when Ruby found him. Looking forward to it.

To wish supernatural things...

For the first time this season I was less than thrilled with a "Supernatural" episode. Well, not in the traditional "less than thrilled" sense - as it was still a very good ep - but I don't think it deserved a perfect 10 this time. This week's ep reminded me a great deal of the format of season 2's 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things': the entire first 3/4 covered the weekly oogity-boogity which left me feeling wanting something more; I got no real enjoyment from it, and then the last scene ended the ep with a very serious, heartbreaking Dean moment. Granted, this ep's spook story was highly more entertaining to me than the zombie plot from CSPWDT, but the end scene with Dean's description of his time in Hell wasn't as dramatic as the one where he broke down in tears over what John did with his deal in that same ep back then. So there's kind of a reversal thing going on. And, yes, there have several other eps in this same format since then, but for some reason CSPWDT was the one this deja vu'd me.

As I said above, "less than thrilled" may be too strong a phrase to use here. But I def had mixed feelings with the whole wishing well story, most particularly the results it caused throughout town. Once again, it is a unique idea and highly praised as such. A magical coin in a fountain made for a very clever premise, sorta like the rabbit's foot from last year's BDABR. The brothers are once again faced with having to battle with the idea of something rather than an actual being. Although, of course, there had to be actual beings working the mojo somehow in order to kick the action into gear, hence the nerdy guy Wes and his wish for true love that started the whole thing. Now, this part of the story didn't really interest me - kind of a knock-off to CSPWDT in the fact that both are about a guy going all supernatural for true love, only for it to go south in the end - as it was a wee derivative for me. However, as much as this show likes to twist and I kinda expected it to here when I saw the girl at the fountain making a wish, I expected that it was her to have worked the mojo in the first place. But no, it was Wes all along. So that kinda threw me, but still, in the end it was just...eh. The perverted invisible guy thing was just sick. Okay, yes, it was funny when they accidentally ran over him with the car, but that's about all I'll say on this one. Arguably, the best (albeit most ridiculous) one has got to be the teddy bear, if only for the reactions on Dean's and Sam's faces to it alone. The looks on their gorgeous faces when they saw that was worth the price of admission all by itself. Now, the little boy with the super strength going after his bully peers was dull, but with Dean added to this mix it became more bearable as it was a hoot to see how he ended this. To sum up, all of these subplot "wish" stories had their bad, super-silly, over-the-top moments, but there were good ones as well, especially when they involved the brothers. And trying to view it from a big picture perspective, I guess it fits in pretty well with the genre as, after all, it IS supernatural stuff - things beyond this world that are most def inconceivable, yet still very powerful, no matter what the magnitude.

Of course, as with any SN ep, the best parts are always the bros. Before I comment on Dean's ending scene, which was the whole bread and butter of the ep to me, I would like to talk about the one short scene where Dean asks Sam what he'd wish for. This was a very important moment as it showed just how much Sam has grown into his role as a hunter, and possibly more. Dean seems to think that his little brother still has the desire to return to his "normal, apple pie life". Sam surprises him by saying "no", which is actually no surprise to me. I have personally felt for a long time now that Sam has embraced the hunting lifestyle, and he's even gone so far as to enhance his powers. I'm starting to sense a Dark Willow thing happening with him - maybe not in precise motives, but for sure in similar structures. For instance, Dean's death left him alone and vulnerable, so his instinct was to protect himself, and probably felt the need for revenge against Lilith, so he decided to reopen the doorway to his powers and put them to use. And in the process, probably got to the point where this...gift...took hold and is overwhelming him with a sense of purpose, therefore making him realize he really doesn't want to return to a normal life (or at least THINK he doesn't). Personally, I think it's both interesting and sorta scary at the same time that he mentions it's too late to go back to his old life. Whether he really does want to go back or not has actually become irrelevant. It seems to me that his decisions of late are based on what his new powers and purpose are leading him to, and how far he may be willing to take them, no matter what Dean's objections.

Then again, who's to say that Dean asking Sam if he'd choose to go back to "normal" was really Dean's wish, not Sam's? It would make sense: Dean is still scared of Sam's growing powers, he's never made a secret of it. So why wouldn't he wish that Sam would choose to be "normal" again, a place of safety that Dean knows Sam would fit into? Of course, all of this is simply speculation on my part, but that is the vibe I can't help feeling right now with these two. But for the moment I would like to concentrate on the last scene of the ep. Dean finally lets Sam (and us) in on what his experience in Hell was like. The kicker: he actually doesn't. He tells Sam flat out that he refuses to talk about it. But one thing is for certain: it def wasn't fun. While this scene wasn't as epic on the surface as it was when Dean broke down in tears at the end of CSPWDT, it was just as heartbreaking in its subtlety here. Let me explain: by not revealing just how horrible Hell is, it reminds me of the descriptions of it given a couple times last year by that Casey demon girl in 'Sin City' and then by Ruby in 'Malleus Maleficarum' - both were pretty vague in their descriptions of Hell, but nothing too literal. Even Dean was at a somewhat loss for words of Hell here, saying "there aren't words" to describe the things he saw there. I'm sure we'll learn more about Dean's experiences there in time, but for now these kinds of things leave the imagination up to us, and that can be very powerful emotionally when it is finally let out. And letting it out is something Dean better do soon. Totally understandable to not want to talk about something so terrible that it can't be described, but to keep it bottled up? Well, we all know the drill....

Bits and Pieces:
- The goofy waiter with an affliction to say "awesome" a lot at the beginning was funny, but got annoyingly needless pretty fast.
- Nice bit of continuity: "Busty Asian Beauties" - Dean's fave website - is now revealed to have a magazine. LOL

Just a personal choice, but I'm giving this one a 9.5. It was not terrible at all, I just had mixed feelings about it, not all of which were really good ones. It looks as though some creepy girl is coming into play next week. Should be interesting.

The wonchester investigate a town where wishes come true.. with a twist!

At first I thought it would be a sad episode but I was wrong!The boys goes to Convert,a small town where people make wishes that are granted but with a twist!So A little girl wished her teddy would come to live,and he did but its a huge grumpy-depressed Teddy that tries to kill himself!They found the fountain where the wishes are made and realise its an old coin that started everything.No whtey need to find the first wisher and make him(or her) take her coin back.Is it the the millionaire winner?The strong boy that kick Deans butt?The nerd and beautiful woman couple?In this episode,Sam dies again..but thankfully it was not for long.
It was a really funny episode and I still laught when I think of that big creepy Teddy that tried to kill himself and al you see is plush flying in the air!!
This season rocks!!

Just keeps getting better...

Giant manic depressive teddy bears, little Forest on steroids, the invisible perv, and beauty and the nerd, what more can you ask for?
This is yet another brilliant example of how Supernatural seamlessly blends together the absurd, the humorous, the strange and the heartfelt. Dean and Sam uncover a story where a woman is stalked by a "ghost" in a change room shower. Of course Dean's noble nature prompts them to go forth and save some naked women. When they get there, they are immediately disappointed to find no trace of a visit from the afterlife, but instead find even stranger things afoot. There is a giant thieving suicidal teddy bear who broke into a convenience store for booze and porn. In the paper is a story about a man who won a very large lottery, and a little boy with super powers. Their investigation brings them to a wishing well that actually does what it advertises. The thing is, Dean and Sam know that wishes coming true aren't what they're cracked up to be. Once again I found myself laughing until I wished I had a television in the bathroom. The reactions and the facial expressions from Sam and Dean were hilarious and on point. The story itself is bizarre and if a lesser writing team would have attempted something like this it would have been a disaster. Good thing that the writers of Supernatural are brilliant. And on top of the comical story line they managed to sneak in some deepness to the episode. Sam and Dean at the well and all Dean wished for was a sandwich - typical Dean. When Dean asked what he would have wished for, Sam's response was rather dark and he reminded Dean that he was no longer the same person he was when he went back on the road with his bro. Not that it wasn't obvious that he's changed, but the predatory look on his face when he thought about what he would wish for was a bit disturbing. The speech they gave in the car about life not being easy for them was revealing, but the most revealing part was when Dean finally admitted that he remembered everything from his time in hell. How its in his head forever and there's no chance that he'll ever forget. Wow. The line between the two brothers is getting deeper and wider. They used to have so much to connect them and the writers are doing an amazing job of slowly and agonizingly pulling them to opposite sides. Excellent job. Excellent episode.

Giant Teddy!

This season just keeps getting better and better. The storylines that we are seeing are just simply amazing. It's episodes like this that keep me watching. With a giant talking Teddy Bear how could you not watch. Dean was so funny in this episode especially when he and Sam were deciding what to do with the Teddy Bear. To top things off the bear likes to drink and look at porn. Then he shot himself. I was laughing the whole time because of all the stuffing that flew everywhere. Okay with that put aside the end of the episode is really important because Sam finally asks Dean what he remembers from Hell. Dean says everything. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to tell anybody what I saw either.

A change of pace.

This episode takes the "be careful what you wish for" theme of stories like "The Monkey's Paw" and puts a funny spin on it. The guys investigate reports of women who are apparently being stalked in the showers of a health spa by a ghost. It turns out that the "ghost" is a teenaged boy whose hormones led him to wish for invisibility. They discover that other residents in the town are also getting their hearts' desires. Such as the little girl whose teddy bear grows to the size of a grizzly and comes to neurotic life. And the little boy, victimized by a trio of bullies, who becomes super strong and invulnerable. And a homely, lonely man who is suddenly idolized by a hot chick. The guys determine that all of this results from a cursed coin tossed into a restaurant's wishing well (or fountain). The curse, of course, means the wishes come with higly unpleasant consequences. This is silly but fun, a nice change of pace.

Wishes going south.

To have a dream to want something is one thing but to get it and become real is a lot harder. But that's how life goes, as usual this is the same classic story about what happens when people take the easy way out.

This episode is another really good stand alone, that does have it's share of comidy but some heart as well. Also there's no big action involved so this episode is non violent.

We see some unual thing where I can't help but crack a smile at times, like the fact there is a perverted invisable boy that likes to well you understand from the begining of the episode, I'll admit the woman in the shower was hot. Ahem, anyway one of the highlights was seeing a manic depressive teddy bear. It was the funniest and daftest thing I've seen, how the heck it can drink and get affected by liquor or even get depressed in general is beyond me. But I liked what Dean and Sam were wispering as to how to kill the bear without hurting the little girl's feelings as well as how to logically even do it. As usual the moments with Dean are great, I really liked that little moment when he stole a liquor bottle from a abandoned liquor store, seeing Dean trying to give the kid that has superpowers frendly advice by saying the famous "Spider Man" motto only to get punched, I guess the kid's not a "Spider Man" fan, but seeing what Dean wished for out of all the wishes he wished for a Quismo's sandwich. He even says one of my favorate quotes from the episode, "I wanted to save naked women". But there were humane point to him like the fact he admits having post tramatic stress which has given him second thoughts on his outlook on his life. And at one moment reminds Sam of his ambitions back before he bacame a hunter but Sam's reply hurts Dean a little, in a way that part I can't help but feel shows both are walking different path's; Sam is getting more and more into the game while Dean is getting closer to resigning after it's over.

But the heart of the episode comes in with Ted Rami (Heneretta monster from "Evil Dead 2")character whom was the cause of the trouble. His wish was a simple one which is love, but as we see he's getting more then he bargined for whether he wants to admit to it or not. The only really creepy thing about the episode was his significant other whom was smothering him; there is always something about women or men under a love spell that creeps me out and makes me feel uncomfortable. It's probably due to that fact that a certain amount of freedom is sacrificed and just the mere fact that the love is fake.

The interplay with him was great and his character is sympathetic because he's obviously a guy that doesn't get enough of what he wants in life. I like what the brothers say about life even though obviously phylosophy is not their strong suit. Personaly I myself believe you can get everything you want (or enough) but it depends on how you pursue is what counts. Sometimes there is a reason whay we don't always get what we want because there is always something better that might come along. I feel Ted's character could of had her if he just tried but he didn't, and he does come though in the end disallusioned that the relationship he wished for was a lie.

Not the most involving episode

The previous episode threatened to be a comedic Halloween romp, and instead took a far better turn into season arc territory. To be honest, I was expecting more of the same in the episode, so I was a bit surprised to discover that there was another absurdly strange installment on the schedule. For the record, that makes three episodes out of the last four with strong comedic overtones.

This brings to mind two examples with two very different outcomes. The first example would be the fifth and final season of "Angel". That season began with a game-changing shift in status quo, a run of largely stand-alone episodes in the first half of the season, and a stunning and devastating arc in the second half. In other words, fans were nervous at first, but the season was ultimately rewarding. (Hopefully, "Supernatural" will avoid the fate of "Angel", which ended at least one season too early.)

The second example would be the sixth season of "The X-Files". That season began with a few plot-heavy episodes, and then ran with a string of "special" episodes and more light-hearted fare before returning to the plot for a sweeps event. Unfortunately, the second half of that season slipped back into more episodic territory, and many fans were left disappointed by the apparent lack of focus.

It's far too early to tell which way this season of "Supernatural" might go, and that leaves some fans nervous. I admit, this episode leaves me a bit concerned. But the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and in this case, we know that "Supernatural" has consistently delivered for three seasons, despite some casting difficulties. The writers have generally avoided the episodic/serialized divide that marred the "X-Files" run, and tend to pattern the pacing of season arcs in ways similar to the Joss Whedon model.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that I will continue to keep the faith, even though this episode felt like something of a misfire for the season and Ben Edlund. There were certainly plenty of funny moments, but a lot of it just didn't hit on all cylinders. I think part of the problem was the disconnect between the previous episode and this one (Dean's admission at the end notwithstanding).

The story was also largely disconnected from the brothers themselves. I've found that the quality of an episode is proportional to how well the treatment of the "monster" or "legend" intersects with the character study. The best episodes tie the character angst into the tale directly. In this particular case, the Brothers Winchester only vaguely discussed what they might have wished; most of the impact of the wishing well was external to them.

The final product was, therefore, a pretty average episode. Amusing at times, certainly worth the effort to watch, but not on par with the best episodes of the season by any means. Granted, it seems odd to think that an average episode is something of a failure, but that's the thing with "Supernatural". It's usually so good that a bland episode stands out as a disappointment.

"Women? Showers? We have GOT to help these people!"

Despite predictions to the contrary, this episode continues the fine tradition of *awesome* first introduced by chicken-Dean.

First the important serious bits:

Dean *remembers*, but refuses to share. I suspect that it is more out of an instinct to protect Sammy that an unwillingness to talk about it. And also, the writers get more angst out of it this way. He better share/flashback more vividly than his dodgy-red-light episodes. Either way, given he hated it so much down there, will the threat of being resent be enough to give up Sammy? Something Castiel may have to use in the future, given that he has the power to do so.

Amongst all the awesome, the best was hands-down the manic depressive teddy bear. I simply could not have thought of a better interpretation of what they actually go though:

"Tea parties?! Is that all there IS???"

After (unsuccessfully trying to fluff himself with a rifle):"WHY?!?"

Also scary was the overly loving fiancee. Despite the really passionate kissing, she was actually very, very creepy.

Dean retains his brilliant quirks, despite being a changed man: "damn right I wanna save naked women", stealing alcohol from a liquor store, and busty asian beauties. Not to mention that of all the things in the world, he wished for food.

one word: Dean it's awsome!

First: I love the allussions about movies, books or classic series used by produciers in supernatural. that's prove our show it's worry to bring us more the funny and advertising, but too culture. Go tiger!

Second: It's hard to say what's too much funny in episode, But I think the Teddy bear really hilarius ahahahhahha my god the faces the boys when they looked the bear my god! fabulous !

Third: Finally! dean opens his heart, and confess that he remenber everething about in the hell. The end it's too sad,because evereytime when I saw dean so emocinon dude! makes me cry! But he nedds a time, whatever it's too hard the time his pass in the hell, and I think that sam undrestand this!

If only i could reply to the people who gave this episode a score less than 7. I will say this: (its about the 7-FoOt TeDdy BeAr. . .)

Although i agree that its a filler ep. I do not agree that its just a whacked comedic episode. Dude, the themes are deep. The teddy bear who doesnt want to live in the real world. Teddy: "Why am i here". Girl: "I told you, for the tea party". Bear: "That's it? Huhuhu.. " That was really deep. hehe. I forgot what the board said when the teddy bear committed suicide. Whoever wrote this episode is a genious. Every wish (the bullied kid, the invicible pervert, the wishful nerd and the greedy lotto winner) all have deep underlying tones to it. I love how everything tied upin the end. Especially when the invicible perv got ran over.. haha.. so ironic. filler episodes make Supernatural work. If you bombard the audience with reveal after reveal.. it doesnt have that sense of character development that makes people say: tHiS iS mY fAvOrItE sHow. Note to Eric Kripke: Im not saying i love fillers, bring me more of that awesome storyline!

Sam and Dean investigate a wishing well that grants wishes for real with a terrible cost in return.

This episode had me laughing. I mean teddy bear doctors totally funny. I got to admit it was time for a funny again. The bear cracked me up. Dean's reaction to it was pricless. I liked the part when Sam and Dean have Wesley in the car with them and their talking about how you can't have anything you want and that you have to work for everything to get it and keep it. So true. Dean finally was able to tell us that he does remeber his time in the pit and everything about it. Hopefully we find out more about it. Great job Supernatural can't wait for next weeks episode.

Sam and Dean travel to Concrete, Washington, to save the town from wishes that turn bad.

Overall another good episode. Wishful Thinking was another light-hearted episode with slight undertones of angst. Dean's nightmares (which reminded me of Sammy season 1) the drinking and finally admitting he remembers what happened in hell. I was surprised that Dean admitted this. I thought he would keep that secret for a while longer. I have enjoyed all this humor lately but I'm ready for some hard-core angst filled episodes! I need my tortured Dean and Sammy! It just feels like it's starting to drag a little and that we need some progression. I've laughed...now I'm ready to bust out the tissue box! I found it very interesting that when Dean asked Sam what he would wish for it wasn't to go back to his old life. It was to have Lilith's bloody head on a plate. I guess that's progression. There's no going back. I loved the teddy bear scenes and Sam and Dean trying to figure out how to handle the situation. And at the end the teddy having a bandage on his head after an unsuccessful suicide attempt. I also enjoyed the scenes with Ted Raimi. I'm ready for next week.

The Winchester brothers investigate a few strange cases and soon find that all the wishes are coming true.

I watched this episode yesterday and I wasn't really able to write a proper review then, but I'll try now. So, from the beginning The "Now and Then" scene made me shiver. Really! Everything was so perfectly chosen and put together, that I braced myself for another great episode. And I wasn't disappointed! When the brunette girl was in the shower and we saw "the ghost" I panicked =) It reminded me of RSAM scene (which I loved, though I didn't like the whole episode). I mean, being attacked or even watched in the shower-that's one of my greatest fears, or at least it freaks me out every time. But there was no blood or even no death and I'm really thankful.
The first scene with Dean and Sam made me realize how much I missed these brotherly moments. The scenes where the boys are just sitting and talking like to normal guys =) Ok, so there was absolutely nothing normal with the whole "To Hell and Back" talk, but still…I'm really glad that in this episode there were many moments like this one. And I have to ask, who or what was this waiter guy? He really cracked me up. His "awesome" and "extreme ice cream"… LOL!! I don't know the actor's name, but he was great.
I won't discuss every strange thing that the boys encounter, because really, for me this episode was not about the case (which was pretty cool actually) but it was about the brothers. Still, I have to mention the Teddy Bear and his whole "Life is meaningless. Signed T.Bear" stuff. Yes, it was ridiculous and absurd, but it was great. It made me think about some serious things, but…well some other time =)
And here comes the scene, that made me LOVE this episode and give it 10 points. When Hope was kissing Wess in front of the boys and they just stared! It was…Well, they are brothers! It reminded me of my two little brothers-they argue and fight all the time, but when I see them gazing at some pretty girls (or at some kissing couple =) ) , I remember why I love them. I mean, this insignificant moment showed us, that Sam and Dean are indeed brothers and they may be heroes, afraid of nothing hunters, but they are first of all guys and oh how I missed this kind of bantering!!
Ok and last, Dean's confession.. I'm not quite sure what to say about it. It was painful and sad but I'm thankful for this scene, for the fact that they put it exactly this way. I mean, Dean used almost exactly the same words that Sam used to tell him, why Dean couldn't understand about the demon blood. And I do believe that Sam realized it. Yes, it's really sad, that the boys are becoming more and more different and have more and more things that separate them, but still.. I can't wait for the next two episodes and see what makes Dean change his mind and tell about Hell. So thank you Kripke&Co for another great episode!!

Sam and Dean investigate a town where wishes are coming true...

OK. So lets start with the teddy. It was weird. And that is all I am going to say 'cos the guys faces in the episode said everything else.

For the brothers the lesson this week was simple...Dean said it himself...be careful what you wish for.

This episode was all about wishes, and we got to hear Sam's wish, Lillith's head on a plate. Why? Really I think because it was her that put Dean in hell, he made the deal...but she sealed it. That little scene for me cemented the change in Sam. He has accepted his lot in life, this is just how it is. No regrets, no going back. Was Dean's statment his wish for his brother (I think maybe).

I loved the brother's scenes in this one, Dean denying to Sam's face that he rememebered Hell and then Sam calling him on the bad dreams and the drinking and then..... The last scene was what made this episode for me. Sam really wants to make thing right for Dean but as Dean so beautifully put it...neither of them know how. It's just another thing for Dean to live with, another thing for Sam to watch his brother struggle through. Compare that scene with the one at the end of Children shouldn't play... where a very emotional Dean asks Sam 'how do you make that better?' and you get to see the change in Dean too. No tears this time, just quiet understated pain. I'm kinda glad that they highlighted that Sam destroyed the coin (at least he said he did) 'cos a coin that can grant wishes in the hands of a Sam that wants to make everything right for his brother and destroy the things that hurt him....not good.

I liked most of this episode, only a few bits didn't sit right but then I'm old! lol. Can't wait though for the next two episodes...I want to get down to business..just like Dean...can we concentrate on the case now please?

A giant miss.

comedy episodes of Supernatural are great. Season 1 had one , Season 2 had 2, Season 3 had 2 and Season 4... had 3? Yup. Out of 8 episodes...

interesting, eh? While the halloween themed episode was extremely brilliant, this one fell short simpyl because it was all comedy and that's it.

the last scene with Dean confessin was nice and all but you cant build an episode on that. ...especially because that scene was MEANT to happen for a while now, everybody knows that.

the rest? Giant Teddy Bear, superstrong kid, etc. funny, yeah, ...but no. No, because it has been done before, and much sooner. Like, the "What the hell is going on in this town" line is something that was said in Monster Movie. Which was only a few weeks ago.

Still, entertaining but the "funny" distractions need to be a little... less distracting.

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